JD Offers Super Durian Day Promotion as Part of Its
Grand Celebration of Thailand

JD Offers Super Durian Day Promotion as Part of Its
Grand Celebration of Thailand

For Chinese consumers, few products from Thailand are as iconic and prized as durians, the pungent tropical delicacy known in Asia as the “king of fruits.”

The large, spiky fruit has a sweet, custard-like flesh with a distinct aroma that, while prized by some, has caused durians to be banned in offices and hotels. They’re increasingly popular in China, where a growing number of people enjoy them frozen as an ice cream-like snack—so much so, that the United Nations estimates durian imports in the country have climbed an average of 26 percent year-over-year in the past decade, reaching $1.1 billion in 2016.

To kick off durian season this year, which lasts from May to September, e-commerce giant JD.com is celebrating the popular treat with “Super Durian Day” with special discounts on deliveries of Thai durian to customers’ doorsteps in more than 300 cities in China. More than 115,000 Thai durians were sold on JD in 24 hours during a similar promotion last year, in addition to other durian treats such as durian mooncakes, pastries and ice cream.

JD, which is China’s largest retailer, online or offline, has sold the fruit since 2012. Transaction volume for durians on JD.com grew 11-fold between 2016 and 2017. The company expects to import more than six million Thai durians this year, including an agreement with Queen Frozen Fruit, Thailand’s main frozen durian distributor, to buy a third of Thailand’s frozen durians.

Durians are most popular in first and second-tier Chinese cities like Beijing and Guangzhou, but demand is growing in other regions where the fruit was not previously easily accessible. With its nationwide logistics network, JD has become a primary source for durians in fourth and fifth-tier cities in China. Customers in those regions have more difficulty accessing imported tropical fruits, and make up 45% of JD.com’s durian transaction volume.

Super Durian Day will coincide with the Grand Celebration of Thailand on JD.com, in which the company will cooperate with several Thai companies including Ventry, Mistine and 24shopping, among many others bring Thai products to China.